The present invention was first disclosed in the Disclosure Document filed on Jun. 8, 1998. There have been no previously filed, nor any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to seat belt restraint devices, and, more particularly, to a seat belt restraint lock for children.
2. Description of the Related Art
Child safety is among the most important issues that concern today""s parents. These concerns are heightened in the area of automobile safety. When children reach the age/size where the use of a child safety seat is unavailable, parents resort to seat belts to protect their children""s lives.
However, as many parents know, children at that age are prone to play with the buckles that secure the seat belt, creating a dangerous situation should the buckle become released. As a result, parents must monitor their children, which creates the additional risk of taking their eyes off the road.
Accordingly, the need has arisen for a means by which the child is denied access to the release mechanism.
In the related art, several devices are disclosed that describe various tamper-resistant seat belt assemblies for child safety seats. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,094, issued in the name of Brown et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,561, issued in the name of Smith et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,249, issued in the name of Ball and U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,910, issued in the name of Itkis et. al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,481, issued in the name of Willson, describes a seat belt locking device to secure a child""s safety seat to a conventional shoulder/lap belt restraint system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,198, issued in the name of Pittone et. al., discloses a vehicle safety strap specifically designed for children.
U.S. Pat. No. D. 365,691, issued in the name of Sedlack, describes a child""s booster car seat adaptable to vehicle shoulder/lap belts.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that anticipate directly many features of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved seat belt restraint lock for children which denies a child access to the release mechanism, while simultaneously allowing parents to quickly and easily buckle the child into the seat belt and remove the child from the seat belt.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, a seat belt restraint lock for children is disclosed, comprised of an improved female receptacle for a motor vehicle seat belt buckle. The female receptacle consists of a main body, of a generally rectangular, box configuration. A plate located on the top surface of the main body covers the traditional release button. The plate can only be opened by compressing two locking cylinders located on the lateral sides of the main body. The locking cylinders possess spring tension to ensure that a child cannot open the present invention.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that prevents seat belt tampering by a child, thus ensuring the child""s safety and allowing the driver to focus his or her attention on driving.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that easily installs over an existing seat belt buckle and can be easily removed by adults.
Other objects of the present invention include providing a device that is lightweight, sturdy and cost effective to produce.